


Right Between The Eyes

by AndromedaSwan



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Male Slash, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25340317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndromedaSwan/pseuds/AndromedaSwan
Summary: Sanctuary, post-Hades arc.Everyone has been revived and couples are flourishing. Everyone seems to be happy... except for Ikki who doesn't approve of Shun being with Hyōga as he strongly dislikes the Cygnus Saint, so he's been trying his best to split them up. Yet Hyōga and Shun get fed up... and decide to match him with someone!But it won't be that easy...(Title inspired by Right Between The Eyes by Wax here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIRJYTTeAWkAlso, I know the Shura/Seika pairing is completely crack, it actually started as a joke with my best friend x)
Relationships: Andromeda Shun/Cygnus Hyōga, Aquarius Camus/Scorpio Milo, Aries Mū/Virgo Shaka, Aries Shion & Libra Dohko, Cancer Deathmask/Pisces Aphrodite, Chameleon Juné/Phoenix Ikki, Dragon Shiryū/Shunrei, Eagle Marin/Leo Aiolia, Gemini Saga/Sagittarius Aiolos, Ophiuchus Shaina/Pegasus Seiya
Kudos: 14





	1. Heaven Is A Place On Earth...

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Right Between The Eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398838) by [AndromedaSwan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndromedaSwan/pseuds/AndromedaSwan)



> Title inspired by Heaven Is A Place On Earth by Belinda Carlisle here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrCfe3bYUY
> 
> This first chapter is more like my vision of an ideal AU in which nobody's dead cause Saori is finally good for something and did her all to revive and thank her Saints for all the trouble and pain they've been through for her :)

'Get your dirty hands off my brother at once, you brainless sparrow!!'

Shun and Hyōga got startled by the voice and parted as an obviously furious Ikki stormed into the room. The Cygnus Saint stepped aside from Andromeda and crossed his arms, beginning to get angry as well.

'Ikki...' Shun started.

The older one payed him no attention and moved his face closer to Hyōga's, his eyes shooting daggers at the Russian's almost transparent ones.

'Looks like you really do wanna die', he grumbled. 'It's the last time I'm warning you. Don't you dare get closer to Shun than ten meters ever again!'

Hyōga's teeth ground. He was done already.

He closed his fist and his cosmo began to burn.

'When the hell are you gonna just let him be?!' he retorted. 'You don't have any right to pry into his private life nor into mine! You think I'm scared of you?!'

As he was about to hit the Phoenix, Shun laid a hand on his arm.  
'Hyōga, wait.'

This had been going on for too long. The young Ice Saint was ready to fight for his lover.

But the latter's emerald eyes had him melt and he made a huge effort to calm down.  
Looking clearly fed up, Andromeda turned toward Ikki.

'You calm down, both of you! Nii-san, didn't I tell you to knock before coming in? Just because you're my brother doesn't allow you to come in unannounced when we're at peace.'

Hyōga grinned. Shun: one. Ikki: zero.

'Oh, but I did knock!' the fire bird replied. 'But you didn't answer so I came in.'

'Dammit, Ikki!' the blond-haired boy shouted while getting on his feet to face him. 'You're gonna have to accept it someday, you know that! Shun and I are together and there's no way you can prevent us from seeing each other!!'

'Shun is too young for this and you ain't no ideal candidate for him!' the Phoenix shot back with flames in his eyes.

'I am not too young, Ikki! I am not a baby anymore and I have the right to love whoever I want!!'

Shun had stood up as well and spoken louder than he was used to, which happened very rarely.

Such an unusual tone worked and unsettled both his brother and Hyōga.

The blue-haired glared at the Russian with fury while wondering if it was worth attacking him with the Phoenix's Wings Rise.

Meanwhile, despite his efforts, ice was converging to the Cygnus Saint's fingers, yet he was afraid of hurting Shun. So he thought of his master Aquarius Camus, and tried to keep his head cold just as his mentor had told him over a zillion times.

Ikki frowned, he had hoped Hyōga would have attacked him already, so then he would have had the opportunity to put this damn duckling back into his place, after this goddamn heating scene back in that goddamn Libra Temple. However he figured this would not improve anything if not worsen things; he would likely destroy his brother's bedroom and the latter would then move into Hyōga's.  
The older Japanese boy cracked his knuckles.

'Shun, from now on you are forbidden from staying in the same room as him', he said. 'As for you,' he spat at the young Ice Saint, 'I sure hope you got it this time!'  
Then he stormed out and slammed the door.

'Okay that's enough!!' Cygnus shouted with rage.

Shun sat on the bed.  
'I know!' he muttered, brushing a green lock off his eye. 'When will he finally understand...?'

'It can't go on like this!! He's really gotta calm down or I'm sure gonna freeze him to death!'

Hyōga breathed in and out. Andromeda hid his face into his neck and let his fingers get lost in the golden locks.

Just when everything had been going so fine...

A month had passed since Hades was defeated.

Athena had brought back all the fallen Saints including Kanon, Shion and Aiolos. Kanon had pledged allegiance to the young goddess and moved in with his twin brother as the second Gemini Saint. Shion was the Grand Pope again, just as he used to be before Saga had killed him thirteen years ago.

And finally the joy and happiness had come back a week ago.

Seiya, who had been presumed dead ever since he had saved Athena, had unbelievably awakened right after the Gold Saints took Hades's sword out of his body. He was now almost recovered.  
So yes, everything was pretty much going fine.

Shion had announced that a party would be held at the Thirteenth Temple to celebrate the return of peace and the resurrection of the fallen. The former Aries Gold Saint had ordered the thirteen guardians — yes you heard it right, Kanon, I did say thirteen and not twelve — to clean up their temples, which were still in the same messy state since the Battle of the Sanctuary.

Shun, Hyōga and Shiryū had immediately volunteered to help.

But the fixing had seemingly taken more time than planned...

As a matter of fact, working together had brought the Gold Saints together again, a little more than expected... and many couples had been reunited/formed.

Indeed, Hyōga nearly had a heart attack when he entered the Aquarius Temple to lend Camus a hand — and found the latter leaning on a column, in the arms of the Scorpio Saint, who was languorously kissing his face away.  
Pretty much the same happened to Shiryū as he surprised his master with Shion in the Libra Temple, just when Dohko's hand was sliding underneath the Pope's robes. The poor Dragon ran back to his fellow Bronze Saints in shock, but unfortunately for him Pegasus could not resist in exclaiming in a roar of laughter: 'Well, looks like the Libra Temple really is the place to go!'

Shun was about to say something but then he had turned toward Hyōga and both of them had blushed.

The big news was quickly known to the other Saints and there was much teasing that Dohko took the next step and moved in with his lover at the Thirteenth Temple.

Some of the other couples were rather expected such as Saga and Aiolos, who had dated thirteen years ago before the betrayal of the Gemini Saint; or Mü and Shaka who had been spending more and more time 'meditating' together...  
Angelo (better known as DeathMask, but Aphrodite would never let him live down that he now knew his real name), could not help but speculate on the position those two stuck-ups would use during their sessions.

However he promptly calmed down when Shura, who had finished cleaning his temple and had come down to the Fourth to help the Italian get rid of all his rotten heads, suddenly smelt a strange perfume coming from the bedroom... The too-curious Capricorn opened the door and got immediately thrown away by a very unmanly, high-pitched scream that could only come from the Pisces Saint, and a curse from the Cancer Saint.

Shortly after this, Aiolos woke up the entire Sanctuary the night he came to the Fifth Temple to check if its guardian was sound asleep. Not only could the Sagittarius Saint see that he was indeed, but he also found out his brother was not alone... Marin was there as well, curled up to the Lion's chest.

Aiolos could not help a cry of surprise. The last time he had seen the young woman, she must have been about three years old and he remembered Aiolia often spying on her. And now the young man was hugging his beloved so, so tight in his sleep. Moved by the oh-so-beautiful picture, Aiolos burst out in tears, repeating 'Oh my Gooooood!! My little brother has a girlfrieeeeend!!!!' in a high-pitched voice, which ended up awaking the neighbors.

When the news reached Seiya's ears, everyone was puzzled as he put on a superior look and exclaimed 'About goddamn damn those two took the step! It's been six years since I started wondering when the hell you guys would stop eyefucking each other and just go at it! I can't believe I learned the word 'hormone' before you!'

His comment cost him an Eagle Toe Flash from his master and a Lightning Plasma from Aiolia.

The Bronzies then took their turn and followed their fellow Saints' example.

As the war was over, Shunrei had come to visit Shiryū — and her adoptive father, too, but the Libra Saint was apparently way too busy at the Thirteenth Temple. The stars in the eyes of both Dohko's wards when they were together cleared any doubt about their feelings, and the young Dragon told Seiya in secret that he was already planning to marry the pretty Chinese girl someday. Unfortunately for him he had only forgotten that Pegasus could not keep a secret.

Shiryū had his revenge though, retorting that Seiya was all mouth and no trousers and that he was just jealous of their happiness. The fiery young man was hit in his pride and swore to prove the contrary as soon as he would be strong enough to leave the hospital — he already was, actually, but he preferred taking advantage of his situation as not to help clean up the Sanctuary.

Nevertheless the Pegasus Saint did not look so convincing. His three friends began teasing him, betting on which of him and Saori would take the first step... And they had the surprise of their life when they were told that, not only had Seiya never loved her in any other way than any other Saint did, but that he fancied another girl. (Proving that he was in fact perfectly capable of keeping a secret. )

And it was not all.

The Japanese boy seemed down for a few days as he would keep repeating that she was awesome but he was an idiot, for he had screwed everything up with his misbehavior with the girl, and he had missed his chance because he was blind. (Hyōga had then furrowed a brow while retorting that being blind had never been an obstacle for Shiryū to be with Shunrei, but the Dragon had nudged him and sighed 'It was figuratively speaking, you idiot...')

Therefore the trio immediately thought of Miho, Seiya's friend from the orphanage, but to their surprise it was his sister Seika who denied it. They tried to question her, frustrated that she would know more than them although she had been back in Seiya's life for just a month. Laughing, she confessed she did not really know her brother's crush but apart from this she kept quiet. Shun was so moved to see Pegasus so sad that he decided to investigate.

It did not take long until he found out that ironically... the lucky girl was no other than Shaina. He told his friends and then, while the Dragon was motivating Seiya, Andromeda and his companion went to spy on the proud Ophiuchus Saint. They discovered that although she had been doing all she could to stop loving Pegasus, she actually came to visit him every night when he was asleep, as soon as Saori had finally left.  
Shun thought of the perfect idea; he borrowed a rose from Aphrodite and hid it in Seiya's room. Sitting on the latter's bed and unmasked as to see him better, Shaina could not avoid smelling the enchanted perfume and she fell asleep on him, her face resting on his bare chest.  
When she woke up, Seiya was still sleeping but he was smiling. He had wrapped his arm around her waist and had placed her hand right onto his heart.

Yet Shun and Hyōga could not enjoy their victory for long, because in the meantime Ikki found out about their affair in the Libra Temple. The Phoenix was no pleased at all with hearing that his brother had laid onto the frozen Russian, had had his cosmo burn until he was almost dead just to heat him up, and when he had regained consciousness the Cygnus Saint had kissed him.

Ikki and Hyōga had never gotten along as the Japanese boy always feared he might hurt Shun, in spite of them being best friends in the whole world. On top of that, Hyōga was very popular among girls even though he did not care about them; and this, for Ikki, was incompatible with Shun.  
Therefore he tried his best to split up the new couple since then.

But unfortunately for him, they would not let him and their love was growing more and more powerful.

It seemed that despite his condition of Ice Saint, Hyōga was rather hot-blooded and nothing could annoy him more than being parted by strength from his lover. Meanwhile, nothing could annoy the Phoenix more than not being able to spend a single moment with his younger brother without hearing about the Russian.

Since the beginning of the relationship the ice bird and the firebird had been making huge efforts not to fight.  
Yet Ikki had taken the unbearable habit of keeping an eye on their cosmo-energy and irrupting as soon as they were alone together.

That was why their patience, especially the blonde's, had been diminishing more and more.

Shun and Hyōga did not understand why Ikki wanted so bad to split them up, although he kept claiming he only wanted his brother the be happy.

It had to stop!


	2. Under Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shun randomly introduces June to Ikki.
> 
> Title inspired by Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkQK83Tf9so

Hyōga pecked Shun's lips and he looked him in the eye.

'Your brother has a serious problem', he grumbled. 'He sure knows what hell is like, but he doesn't need to have us know! We better find something to keep him busy or I'm gonna send him right back to his stupid island...'

The Japanese boy intertwined their fingers to soothe him and sighed.  
'Ikki is used to being lonesome, except with me... he fears too much for what might happen to me.'

'What? You think I can't make you happy...?!' Hyōga asked with pain in his voice.

'Of course not, you already are!' Andromeda said with a smile.

'Holy Athena, I would sell my soul for this smile', Hyōga thought.

'So, let's think', Shun continued. 'Will you give me a hand?'  
'Sure, even if it's for your pigheaded brother.'  
'Hyōga.'  
'Sorry but that's true.'  
'... Yeah, I guess you're right', Andromeda admitted.  
'But it's gonna be hard, as the only one Ikki can stand apart from you is Shiryū.'

Shun started laughing.  
'Well, between Shunrei and all those training sessions, he sure doesn't have much time left to spend with Ikki (provided Ikki lets him). Since she's been at the Sanctuary we have hardly seen him around.'  
'Like master like student', the Cygnus Saint smirked.

'I couldn't agree more on that!' Shun laughed. 'Yesterday you were teasing Camus on his attitude with Milo, but you don't really behave like an Ice Saint either when we're alone.'  
The blonde boy flushed.  
'Hey, it's not my fault! You got me melting right away when you're heating me up!'

Suddenly something occurred to Shun.  
'Hey, Hyōga, do you know if there are still some single girls in the Sanctuary?'  
The Cygnus Saint frowned.  
'Single girls? You're asking me?'  
'Hyōga, it's for Ikki. And I don't think he's into boys.'  
'... Oh, right, sure, I knew it. Well, let's see. Marin is with Aiolia, Shaina is with Seiya, and let's not even think of Seiya's orphanage friend...'  
'Plus Seiya told me Shura had a crush on Seika.'  
'What?! Shura, as in Capricorn Gold Saint Shura?! No way!'  
'Apparently', Shun smiled. 'But she's oblivious.'  
'Wow, I'd never have thought!'

Silence came back.

The two young men listed all the girls they knew were near the Sanctuary — there were few of them, apart from Hyōga's fangirls but the latter did not even know their name.

And then...  
'Oh, wait a minute ... How could I ever forget about her?'

Shun burst out laughing so loud he had to grab his lover's arm not to fall from the bed. But he did not control his strength and they both collapsed on the floor. Hyōga literally ended up onto the Andromeda Saint. They both flushed.

The Russian was helping the Japanese boy stand up again when he realized who his lover was referring to.

'Holy Mother of-... please tell me you weren't thinking of Saori?!'

Their eyes met. They burst out laughing again.

At that moment the door opened and Seiya appeared.

He went speechless as he spotted Hyōga lying on Shun, both rubbing their eyes and trying hard to calm their breath. Pegasus was so amused he could not help make a comment.  
'Hey, you ain't in the Libra Temple, you know that, right?'

'Leave my master's temple alone', Shiryū's voice sighed behind him.

'What's going on?' Shun asked, standing up.  
The Dragon Saint showed his face by the doorstep.  
'I just bumped into Shaina, she told me another Saint has joined the Sanctuary. The Pope called up a meeting at his temple.'  
'All right, we'll be right there!' Andromeda responded. 'Hyōga, go ahead, I'll make the bed.'

He came out the room about five minutes later wondering who the Saint in question could be.

'Shun!'

The green-haired boy turned back at the voice, and could only have a glimpse at a lightning of blonde hair flying to him. He stepped back and could then make out the silhouette of a pale-skinned, masked girl in a blue bronze Cloth. His eyes opened wide in surprise.

'June?!' he uttered. 'I thought you were still on Andromeda Island! ... Wait, no, Aphrodite destroyed it when he killed our master.'  
The pretty Ethiopian nodded.  
'Yeah. I'm back at the Sanctuary now.'  
'Really? That's great!'  
'And I'll be part of you guys' team from now on!'

A smile lit Shun's face.  
'So you're really officially part of Athena's Bronze Saints? You mean, Shion is going to welcome you and all? Congratulations!'

At this moment the door behind him suddenly opened and Ikki got out.  
The firebird seemed satisfied at seeing his brother without Hyōga. Then he gave the latter a questioning look about the young woman beside him.

'Hey, Nii-san!' Shun addressed him in glee. 'Meet June, she's the Chamæleon Bronze Saint. She used to train along with me for the Andromeda Cloth.'  
The blue-haired boy briefly nodded in her direction.  
'So you're the famous Ikki?' June asked in awe, coming closer to him. 'Nice to meet you! Shun's been talking a lot about you.'

Ikki narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, completely inexpressive.  
'He did.'  
He kept staring at her during a few seconds then...  
'Hurry up, ya don't wanna be late.'

And then he was gone.

A little unsettled by such a lack of reaction from the Phoenix, June followed him with her eyes until he disappeared in the hallway.  
Shun sighed.

It was true that Ikki had always been uneasy in the presence of other people than him, but anyway, he had never seemed so cold. He must have still been moping over the argument with Hyōga.  
'Sorry, it's kinda difficult for my brother to socialize', he commented. 'It's not your fault'.

His friend was still looking by the hallway and seemed not to hear him.  
'June...? You okay?'

She started, turned back to him and brushed a long blonde strand off her eye.  
'... Sorry, what were you saying?!' she asked, clearing her throat in a very unnatural way. 'So he's the Phoenix Saint? His cosmo is amazing, it's burning so hot! It feels like he heated the entire floor!'

The Japanese boy blinked.  
'He what...?'

'Like he heated the entire fl... n-nothing!!'

His eyes wide open in amazement, Shun raised an eyebrow.

He had known June for a few years now and did not recall seeing her so embarrassed, as she always looked so self-confident and used to be the one to support him at the top of her lungs. Ikki must have intimidated her.  
Then he grinned.

'Like he heated the entire floor.'

He waved at June.  
'Go meet with everybody at the Thirteenth Temple, I have to find Hyōga.'

The latter was already there.  
Shun ran up the two thousand six hundred and fifty-three stone steps to the massive temple.  
Athena and all her Saints were standing in the great hall.  
He joined his lover, who showed a questioning look at his obvious joy.

'I found the perfect girl for Ikki!' Shun whispered.  
'Really? Who is it?!' Hyōga asked, coming closer.  
'Hey, you two.'

They turned back at hearing Ikki, who had just moved to stand on his brother's other side.  
The Phoenix cracked his knuckles.

'Okay, so now it's impossible to even talk?!' the Russian boy grunted.  
Shun gave him a 'please don't mess everything up' look and they focused on the reason why everyone was here.

In his Pope robes but unmasked, Shion was sitting on his throne. He was trying hard to keep looking in front of him when he knew Dohko was staring all eyes at him. Shun smirked.  
The (newly) youthful Tibetan went back to serious and asked for silence.  
Everyone got quiet.  
He cleared his throat.

A few seconds passed before he opened his mouth.

'... Well, it appears I forgot what I have to say when the Sanctuary welcomes a new Saint. Saga...?'  
'I am not helping you out here, I'm only the Gemini Saint now', the latter, half-fatalist, half-amused. 'You are the Grand Pope.'

There was a blank.  
Then everyone burst out laughing.

'Is that a fucking joke...?' Ikki sighed.

The former Aries Saint looked annoyed.  
'Uh... well.'

As embarrassed as he was, Saori decided to take over, which caused another general burst of laughter.  
'My dear Saints, please welcome your new recruit!' she announced.

'Hey, why is she interfering?!' Dohko muttered, angry at seeing his lover being made fun of.  
Shion was not used to being interrupted at the start of his speech — nor in the middle or the end either actually — so he frowned and started again.  
Which caused even more laughter.  
'A-Anyway. Let me introduce Chamæleon Bronze Saint June!'

As tense as an i, the fierce young woman walked to the center of the hall and stood still in front of the Pope.

She was trying hard not to show it but she was feeling uneasy, even more so when all her fellow Saints started applauding her.  
She gazed at Shun a few meters away and spotted him with Hyōga. She felt her heart aching as her friend and the young Cygnus Saint were nearly touching. She always had a crush on Shun, even after he told her he loved Hyōga.  
She felt somewhat soothed by Andromeda's soft smile, though... until she noticed Ikki next to him. 

He too was staring at her but with narrowed eyes and not applauding. She felt uneasy again.  
How was the Phoenix making her so confused?! She was not used to that feeling.  
'But Shun did tell me he was not easy-going,' she thought.  
So she tried and focused on Shion who was now talking about her origins as a former candidate to the Andromeda Cloth.

'So she used to train with you?' Hyōga asked Shun.  
'Yes. June is a great fighter, she's swift and efficient in her moves. And she was the only one to be nice to me. She believed in me and got angry every time somebody would mock me.'  
'She does seem a good choice then. Have you introduced her to Ikki yet?'  
Shun nodded with a mysterious smile. The blonde looked at June again, at the exact moment that she stopped staring at the firebird.  
'And he didn't scare her too much?' he asked.  
'Well, apparently not', Shun said amusedly. 'She was very impressed by his cosmo... actually she said it was like he heated the entire floor.'

'Whaaaat?!'

Hyōga kept staring at him for a few seconds, flabbergasted.  
'I can't believe it... she already has a crush on him?! So she wasn't looking at you right now but at him?!'  
'Yeah, I suppose.'  
'But...'

In a same move they turned toward Ikki.  
And the sight got them pinned down.

Apparently very focused, the Phoenix Saint was intensely staring at the scene in front of them.  
Usually so inexpressive, he now seemed completely absorbed in observing June who was now pledging allegiance to Athena. It looked just like he was reflecting, as if trying to figure out something unclear about the young woman.  
He, the one who hated crowded meetings on top of everything, had not uttered a single sarcastic comment for ten minutes, and he was currently standing there, arms dangling, as motionless as a statue.

Neither had Andromeda nor the Russian ever seen him in such a state.

'Er... Ikki, are you all right?' the latter asked, frowning.

The young man started and quickly turned toward him. He had a blank for a second but almost immediately pulled himself together, and his face came back to its usual expressionless mask.  
'You got a problem?'

The Russian blinked.  
Shun's grin widened.  
And this provoked something incredible: for the first time in his entire life, Ikki looked down and got away.

His jaw ready to fall off, Hyōga stared at his companion.  
'Wait a minute... is it me or did Ikki seem embarrassed?!' he dropped.  
'Yeah, looks like he was!' Shun nodded in excitement. 'Maybe our mission will turn out to be easier than I thought!'

The Cygnus Saint rubbed his hands together.  
'Shun, you're amazing. We're gonna have so much fun! I just can't believe it... Ikki, big bad murderous Phoenix Ikki, who only you in danger can ever interest, has just looked at a girl and got embarrassed?'

The Japanese boy immediately lifted a disapproving hand to stop him.  
'Hyōga, wait. We're gonna have to go smooth. No making fun of him nor trying to get your revenge for his wanting to split us up. It might be our only opportunity... and I'm pretty sure he won't help us.'  
'Yeah, he's not in his element, that's for sure', the young Ice Saint commented with a grin.

He slid his fingers through Shun's and showed a confident smile.  
'Don't worry my love, it's gonna work out for the best, I swear!'

Then they focused back on Shion, who was now reminding everyone of the party tonight to celebrate the return of peace and of all the Saints, and the Chamæleon's integration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The game is ON!


	3. i-I-I'm sTIll stAndinGGGG...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a party at the Pope's Palace and things go down x)  
> (but there's also killer news!)
> 
> Title inspired by I'm Still Standing by Elton John (not much to do with the action though) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swuzkq0Q8nw

The great hall of the Thirteenth Temple was now hardly recognizable; thanks to his psychokinesis abilities Shion had arranged it like a night-club with tables, a buffet, a bar counter and a dance floor instead of the Pope's throne.

Drinks were pouring in flows.  
The Saints has immediately made themselves comfortable.

Half lying on a bench seat, Seiya and Shaina were making out with no reserve.  
Aldebaran was trying to motivate Shura to go talk to Seika, which was looking lovingly at Pegasus and Ophiuchus.  
Aphrodite, Saga and Aiolos were swaying on the dance floor, the Sagittarius and the Gemini Saints locked in a tender embrace and hardly paying attention to the rhythm of the song.  
Shion was vainly trying to resist Dohko who wanted them to join the dancers — ignoring the Chinese man's irrefutable argument that 'this kind of music was far more stimulating' than the one they had two centuries ago.  
Mü, Shaka and Camus were chatting peacefully in a corner despite the electric atmosphere.  
DeathMask, Kanon and Milo had practically kidnapped June at their table with the idea of integrating her their way: with a bottle of tequila. The poor Ethiopian girl could not hope for any help as their table neighbors Aiolia and Marin, were devouring each other's mouth.

Sitting at the bar, Hyōga wished he and Shun could do the same but he knew better. Not only were they supposed to be on a mission but there was also a slight problem: Ikki was sitting at the bar inches away from them.  
The younger of the siblings had tried to start a conversation with him several times but the blue-haired boy had remained closed upon himself, as usual.

'He holds his liquor pretty well', Hyōga reckoned as his colleague downed another shot.  
'Yeah, he does...' Shun nodded with a a disapproving scowl. 'But even this he prefers doing by himself.'  
'He should join the others though, some of them are pretty used to drinking. No need for names.'  
'Yeah... I'm wondering why he even came.'

The green-haired boy sighed and leaned on the bar, turning back to watch the room. The Ice Saint followed his look... at the exact moment that, under her fellow drinkers' loud cheering, June was downing a shot through a straw. (Not that easy to drink when you're wearing a mask, huh?)

Wait, why was she even...?!

'Just look at them... Ikki really isn't doing his bit!' the Russian growled. 'Not only do these guys love getting wasted but on top of that they got June with them.'  
'Hyōga.'  
'Plus, knowing them, they sure as hell won't let her remain sober.'  
'Hyōga.'  
'It really oughta be easier for Ikki!'  
'Hyōga!'

The young man went silent at his lover's serious expression.  
'Hyōga, Ikki has not had so much as a glimpse at June a single time since the party started', Shun muttered, preoccupied. 'He's most certainly not in his element, to use your own terms! He's being completely oblivious to what's going on. And in addition to that, during Shion's speech we surprised him in one of his rarest 'moments of weakness' as he would say, I mean a moment when he was overwhelmed by his emotions. And you know my brother sees emotions as his worst enemy.'

Hyōga frowned.  
'So you think he's refraining from going to talk to June?'  
'I don't know. I sincerely have no idea about what he might feel right now. And I'm pretty sure that neither does he.'  
'But he still did decide by himself to come tonight, right? Although it's usually so hard even for you, to convince him to go to any event. It has to mean something!'

'You're right, but Ikki is so mysterious...' Shun thought, observing his older brother with his nose stuck in his drink.

'You know, Hyōga... to be frank, I'm not a hundred percent sure that he does like June', he confessed. 'However what is certain is that she has raised his interest for a moment.'  
'Hey, I'm not sure either!' the blonde grumbled. 'Yet we've been rotting at this damn counter for over three hours now, racking our brains for him instead of enjoying ourselves together! So we're not gonna give up, we will find a solution to loosen up this guy. I bet that at the bottom of his heart he's on fire, but on the surface he's not a damn Phoenix, he's a Stone Block!'

The music suddenly stopped and everyone stood still. Dohko came to the middle of the dance floor with a microphone.  
'What is he doing...?' Shiryū wondered aloud, coming closer with Shunrei.  
'I have no idea', Shion responded, equally intrigued.

The Libra Saint said something in the microphone but no one could hear.  
He furrowed a brow and tried again. It still did not work.

'... -goddamn technology, how in hell do I speak into this piece of sh-...'  
The sound finally came out and the now younger Old Master cut his sentence right in time, in front of all the laughing faces turned to him.  
He cleared his throat.  
'Hum! Well, before it stops working a second time... Shion, there is something I must tell you, right now, because I've been waiting for far too long.'

The former Aries Saint's amused smile vanished as he frowned, instantly going back to serious.  
Dohko was all but famous for his ability to go straight to the point.

'During the thirteen years in which Saga replaced you as the Grand Pope, he certainly carried out horrible deeds. Nonetheless, lately he told me that the latest reform he was planning to set up just before the Sanctuary Battle began, was good and useful. Nobody has heard about it because it wasn't about the Saints... I mean, not about every Saint.'

Aiolos and Kanon gave the concerned party a questioning look but the latter showed nothing but a small smile.

The Libra Saint moved closer to Shion, who was trying hard to dissimulate his curiosity.  
'... With this reform the Pope would be allowed to get married.'

The Tibetan's face was now a deep shade of crimson.  
His heart began racing.

Dohko did not seem so relaxed either but his forest green eyes were shining with the purest conviction.  
He got down on bended knee, took a coffer out of his tunic and opened it before his lover.  
'Shion, Grand Pope who represents Athena on Earth, former Aries Gold Saint, will you marry me?'

For the first time in bicentennial life, Shion, Grand Pope who represented Athena on Earth and who was the former Aries Gold Saint, remained speechless.

The others — except for Saga and Dohko — were all in shock too. DeathMask and Milo's jaws seemed about to fall off.  
Ikki himself had raised his head out of his drink.

However, the Tibetan pulled himself together remarkably rapidly.  
'Yes, nothing would make me happier.'  
Without giving his lover the time to realize the answer, he too moved closer with a mysterious smile... and took another coffer out of his sleeve and opened it while going down on bended knee as well.  
'And you, former Old Master Dohko, still-lasting Libra Gold Saint who protects Athena, will you marry me?'

The Chinese opened his mouth but it took him a few seconds to utter a sound as he was so surprised.  
'... Yes!' was all he managed to say, and this was enough to disconcert all those to whom he was known for his never-ending speeches.

'Good, because I've been carrying that ring for over two hundred years as I was... too hesitant', Shion confessed with a bashful smile and a drop of sweat rolling down his neck.

'... And they say Aries Saints are impulsive? My ass!' DeathMask burst out laughing.

The couple paid him no attention and jumped into each other's arms and exchanged a passionate kiss below their colleagues' loud cheering and wolf whistling.  
Aphrodite put his hand on his heart for the scene was so beautiful and threw some roses at them — forgetting for a moment that they were poisonous. He remembered it at once as the newly engaged suddenly seemed about to faint, and, red in distress, the Swedish Saint made a hand gesture to call back his roses, while the Cancer was threatening to choke as he was laughing so hard.

Then the music came back and everyone toasted to the husbands-to-be and started chatting joyfully.

Well, almost everyone.  
Ikki still had the same impassible expression.

Shun let out a sigh.  
'I hope he's not planning to wait for two centuries too!' Hyōga growled, shooting an angry look at the young Phoenix.  
But the green-haired boy suddenly smiled and nudged him. The Cygnus Saint turned back and felt his heart lightening up.

Walking as straight as she could in spite of her apparent dizziness, under loud support from Milo, DeathMask and Kanon, June was stumbling closer to the bar, grabbing hold of the tables on her way to keep on her feet.  
She was still wearing her mask, unlike Shaina and Marine probably since they no longer had reasons to fear men as both of them had a boyfriend.  
The blonde Ethiopian seemed seriously drunk as she was holding out her arms in front of her and bending her head aside like a zombie.

'There, see? I knew it would be easier with a few drinks!' Hyōga triumphed.  
Shun made him shut up and gazed at his brother.  
Who did not even seem to have noticed what was going on.

'W-W-Wait baby, I g-g-g-gotta tell you something veeeeery important!' June mumbled.  
With a grin, the two young men moved their seats away from Ikki to give her more space.

Yet, to their immense surprise, the Chamæleon Saint headed to Shun.

'W-W-Whaaaat?!' Cygnus dropped.  
'June?! W-What are you-...?' Andromeda stammered.  
Hyōga stood up in a jump as his new fellow Bronze Saint sat onto the Japanese guy's knees.  
'Sh-Shun, I've a-always liked you, you know? Since foreveeeeer!'

Completely flabbergasted at this kind of confession coming from his friend's mouth while in such a compromising position, the young man gently pushed her back and stood up too.  
'What...? June, you do remember Hyōga and I are together, right?!'  
The latter's teeth ground as he was overwhelmed by a jealousy wave.  
The Silver Saint tried to move closer to Shun but this time he resolutely pushed her back.

'What's going on with her?!' he panicked.

June lost her balance when he let go of her arm and she accidentally hit Ikki behind her.  
The latter slowly raised his head, groggy by all the alcohol.  
Shun and Hyōga then exchanged an approving look and the young Ice Saint kicked the Phoenix's seat.

Before he could put himself back together, the firebird collapsed and dragged the Chamæleon Saint down with him.  
Ikki found himself lying on the floor with June on him, her face only a few centimeters away from his... and her eyes looking right into his.

Her eyes?!

Less than a second later, June's mask hit his forehead and fell down next to his head.  
Ikki sobered up at once.

June sobered up the second she felt her mask moving off her face, but she could do nothing to prevent herself from falling and ended up lying on Ikki.  
Her cheeks went crimson red as she realized how she had gotten in this position.

'What in hell was I doing, flirting with Shun...?!'

She then felt heat coming through her whole body for the second time, and that burning cosmo in contact with hers.  
Before she could realize it, her eyes were into the Phoenix's.

Unlike his brother's, his were blue. Yet she found they showed an unexpectedly similar flash as in Shun's eyes.  
A strong will to protect him, an ability to never hesitate to sacrifice himself to guarantee this protection. An infinite and indestructible love to protect, at all cost.

'Just like Andromeda...'

Ikki had appealed to the blonde girl since the first time they met. She had never felt something so powerful, even for Shun.

'He is much like him. But he also has something more.'

Oh yes, he did.  
She was shaking and had the impression that this look and cosmo had her melt down more and more.  
He had a spark and a strength that could resist anything including death in addition to his unerring will.  
'The Phoenix.'

June's long blonde strands felt like a stroke on Ikki's cheek. He could not help but stare at her face.  
She was beautiful.  
In addition to the very compromising position they were in, the Japanese boy was even more uneasy, as the Chameleon's large azure eyes were into his but also beyond.

No one had ever stared at him so intensely, not even Esmeralda. The Phoenix Saint had the impression that they were searching for his soul.

'Just like Seiya's with Shaina.'

At the moment he realized what he was thinking, something amazing happened.  
Ikki blushed.  
'What?! Why in hell am I remembering something like this right now?!!' he mentally scowled himself.

Plus, his cosmo heat did not help as it was quickly rising.  
Feeling the panic surge in at his losing the control on his emotions again, the young man jumped onto his feet and ran away.

For a few seconds June kept still as if she were in a trance, with the vision and the sensation of the firebird's frame beneath hers. She could not tell why she felt so sad that he got away so fast.  
What a moment she had just lived... she had looked into Ikki.

She had had a glimpse at what no one had ever seen and she was stunned.

Then she realized her face was still uncovered and she put her mask back on in a hurry. Fortunately she was sitting with her back to the other Saints, so nobody could see her face.  
She got on her feet and, trying hard not to look towards Shun and Hyōga, she ran away.

The latters exchanged an amazed look at the result of their maneuver.  
'We're the best!' the Cygnus Saint shouted in victory.  
His companion grinned.  
'Your kicking his seat was a good idea idea!' he approved.  
'I bet Ikki's never felt so embarrassed in his life!'  
Shun bit his lower lip.  
'Yeah, you're sure gonna suffer tomorrow in training', he commented.  
Hyōga gave an amused shrug.  
'Better he attacks me than Shiryū or Seiya when they haven't done anything.'  
'Yeah, right.'

Andromeda rested his head onto his shoulder.  
'We did a good job indeed. That's a relief to know Ikki has feelings.'  
'You bet your ass he does! He was right in front on us, did you see the face he put when he saw June's face?'  
'Yes, he blushed. Can you believe it?' Shun exclaimed in amazement.  
'As for June, I couldn't see her face but...'  
'She was shaking but not in fear.'  
Satisfied, the young Russian high-fived him.  
'It's in the bag then!'  
He smirked and winked at his lover.  
'Sooo... where were we?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ikki: "So today I met my toughest enemies yet: feelings. I'm NEVER experiencing that again."  
> Oh, you bet your butt you will, young chicken <3
> 
> Oh, and... HOW MY GOD DOHKO AND SHION ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!! :D:D


	4. How Will I Know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaina and Marin try to get June out of her moping state.  
> Title inspired by How Will I Know? by Whitney Houston here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3-hY-hlhBg

Shion decided not to cancel the next day's training as to punish certain Saints — no need for names — for taking a little too many drinks... and he punished in the same go all the others 'to teach them good manners'.

Shun did not really mind. He woke up early and softly slid out of Hyōga's embrace for he could not wait to finding out how his brother was doing. Andromeda resisted the urge he had to directly go meet with him in his room (although he was the only one allowed to enter Ikki's room whenever he wanted.)

He decided not to hurry the latter too much for he was rather unsure of his reaction. Despite being Ikki's younger brother, Shun indeed preferred not to interfere when the Phoenix was dealing with (I mean, fighting) his emotions.  
The young man put on his Cloth and grabbed his Nebular Chain and went out.

His green locks were fluttering in the soft breeze. He was feeling fine, since for the first time in forever Ikki had not appeared out of nowhere to prevent him from sleeping in Hyōga's room.  
He peacefully took the direction to the arenas.

An early riser too, Shiryū was already there. Hyōga was still sleeping and as for Seiya, Shun did not know if he had come back to his own apartment after he and Shaina went out to a night-club.  
The Gold Saints were not there either as they had their own arena.  
Shun felt a bit disappointed realizing Ikki was missing too. He did know his brother rarely trained with them, but he had still hoped to see him today.

Andromeda decided to train with Shiryū while waiting for the Phoenix.

'Hi Shiryū!' he waved at his friend. 'Care if I join you?'

'Of course not, want to spar with me?'

'Sure!'

The jet-black-haired placed himself in front of him and attacked him. Shun easily escaped and spread the Nebular Chain. It coiled around his colleague's arm but the latter successfully broke free.

'I hardly slept last night, you know?' Shiryū confessed while throwing another attack. 'I kept thinking about my master and Shion.'

The green-haired boy blocked the attack and smirked.  
'Yeah, I can understand that. You must be pretty happy for them!'  
'I truly am! But thinking that my master has been sitting still at the Rozan Falls for 243 years...'  
'Sure makes the change!' Shun agreed laughing. 'And Shion was still dead less than a month ago.'  
'Yes, and by the way it's very fortunate that Saga was planning on launching his latest reform, otherwise my master would still be blaming him for assassinating Shion.'

'Even thirteen years later?' his friend uttered with surprise. 'But it happened in the past, plus Saga was not himself when he killed him. And he's still feeling so miserable about all of his sins... I thought everyone had forgiven him by now.'

The Dragon shook his head in disagreement.  
'No, I don't think so. How would you feel if Hyōga had been killed just like Shion?'

'What? Who's gonna kill me now?'

They spotted the young Ice Saint coming to them, in his Cloth. Shun reassured him with a smile.  
'Nobody, we were just talking.'  
'Okay, great then. Hey, Shiryū. So I take it that Ikki's not here?'  
Andromeda's smile vanished.  
'See for yourself.'

'About that, I didn't see him yesterday, neither at June's oath nor at the party', their friend commented. 'How dare he miss such important events?'

For a moment Shun thought of telling him everything but then he changed his mind, as his brother did not like confidential information about him being spread, even to someone he did trust.  
'He was there, he just came by and then walked out, I guess', Hyōga answered for him.

Then Seiya made his own entrance, looking amazingly in shape.

He began sparring with the Cygnus Saint while Shun and Shiryū resumed their own friendly fight.

For the whole morning the green-haired boy waited for his brother. The latter did not show up and his cosmo remained undetectable. Shun started worrying and feared Ikki might have returned to Death Queen's Island, just as he used to at any occasion before.

Yet the Phoenix had promised he would stay at the Sanctuary to watch over him — and currently he had pretty much made everything possible to remind he and Hyōga of his presence, especially when the Russian was staying too close to Shun.

At some point, the younger could not wait anymore and decided to leave after a exchanging a knowing look with his companion.

He crossed the path of a few Gold Saints on his way back but none of them had seen Ikki.

Shun took a quick shower and changed into his casual clothes before knocking at his brother's door.

'Ikki, are you there?'

Andromeda held out his hand to take the handle and move it but at that exact moment the door opened on the Phoenix, who gave a start.  
'Dammit Shun, I didn't hear you!' he exclaimed.

He did not seem in a good mood but Shun was used to it (although Ikki would usually say hi even smile at him sometimes.)  
'Where are you going?' he asked.  
'Training', the older retorted, gesturing at the Phoenix Cloth he was wearing.

His tone was harsh but it was not what worried Shun most. Ikki had bags under his eyes and was looking straight in front of him.  
'Nii-san, are you all right...?'  
The firebird did not even lower his eyes.  
'Of course I am, what's the matter?' he said, making an effort to sound softer.  
Shun frowned.  
'You're sounding weird, as if you didn't sleep so much.'  
Ikki forced a grin.  
'I did, I assure you. There's no reason for you to worry, Shun'.

Unconvinced, the latter was about to reply when the older one tousled his hair and got away, his phoenix feathers fluttering behind him.

Shun hated when the firebird was so evasive. Fine, Ikki had been to hell. Fine, he was strong and lonesome. Nonetheless everybody needed somebody. 

Still, the young man chose not to insist as he was never certain about his brother's possible reaction at tricky moments. He opted for relaxing and went to the library to read.

In the meantime Hyōga was coming back from the training session. He looked for Shun's cosmo and spotted it at the same time he spotted Ikki's. The Russian wondered if his companion had succeeded in getting him to speak.

'I bet Ikki's in a terrible mood', he thought. 'Ha, so the roasted chicken stopped showing off right after love at first sight! Typical!'  
He smirked as he recalled the proud Phoenix Saint blushing before an unmasked June.  
'Yeah, it definitely was love at first sight. He did not look like a blood-thirsty beast anymore when he was looking at her. He rather seemed at a loss.'

Hyōga's smile widened.

Ikki had been pretty annoying, with his constantly trying to split him and Shun up. But who was laughing now?

The sound of several voices brought him back to reality. The Cygnus Saint realized he was now near the women's training arena. He hid behind a column and listened.

The Eagle, Ophiuchus and Chamæleon Saints were masked and sparring.

'Come on, June, focus!' Shaina was shouting authoritatively. 'You're officially one of Athena's Saints now, you have to be able to protect her!'  
'Sorry!'

The attacks were bursting out. Then there was a thump and Hyōga guessed that one of the Silver Saints had knocked the young Ethiopian to the ground. He narrowed his eyes so that he could see better.

'Okay June that's it, just tell us what's going on already!' Marin commanded, taking her mask off.  
Her younger colleague hesitated before the Japanese girl's insisting light-blue eyes.

Shaina took off her mask as well, her green eyes a bit more gentle. Fortunately standing with her back to Hyōga, June finally gave in and unmasked her own face.

'Something pretty embarrassing happened to me at the party last night.'

'Yeah, no shit. What was it?' the Italian asked while brushing a long green strand off her eye.

'Scorpio Milo, Gemini Kanon and Cancer DeathMask made me drink.'

'Oh yeah, I heard about this', Marin commented with a slight grin. 'Last night Aiolia heard Kanon being seriously told off by Saga although they were two temples down his. And it was also kicking off at the Aquarius Temple, Milo looked abashed when he came back to his.  
'Oh, I so wish I were there!' Shaina regretted. 'It's so funny when Milo is at Camus's feet.'

The redhead gave her an amused look and waved at June so she could go on.

'Then I went to talk to Shun but I was pretty drunk and I wasn't going straight so I tripped... and I fell down, right onto Ikki.'

' You... what?!'

'But the worst part is...'

The Chamæleon must now be crimson red.  
'I lost my mask and... he saw my face.'

'WHAAAAT?!!'

Hyōga had never seen the two young women so flabbergasted. Their jaw seemed about to fall off, even Marin's, whereas she was usually so hard to impress. June lowered her head.

'And... and then?' Shaina managed to utter. 'You know the Phoenix can't be killed...'

Judging by the expression of both Silver Saints, the Ethiopian's face must be shattering.  
'Of course I know that! ... But that's not even the problem...'

The ginger girl frowned and exchanged a worried look with Shaina.  
'June, please tell us you don't... have a crush on Ikki?'

As an answer the young woman let herself fall on her knees and hid her face in her hands, half in despair and half in anger. Her friends knelt down next to her biting their lip, feeling bad for her. Marin laid a compassionate hand on the Chamæleon's shoulder and the Italian girl stroked her hair.

'Poor thing', Shaina said softly. 'Reminds me of when I fell in love with Seiya... It hurt, too.'  
June suddenly raised her head again toward her.  
'It's got nothing to do with it!! You can't understand! It's Ikki we're dealing with here! For Athena's sake, I like Ikki!! And on top of that I was already developing a crush on him before he even saw my face!'

'Shun, you're the best', Hyōga thought.

'Nobody can understand what it's about!' the Ethiopian went on with a shaking voice. 'You both can be sure you'll be damn happy with Leo Aiolia and Pegasus Seiya, whereas Ikki will never even so much as look at me.'

'What do you know about that?' Ophiuchus asked. 'I'm pretty familiar with stony hearts, I could have won a reward for mine, you know.'

June sighed.  
'I just said it's got nothing to do with it, don't you ever listen? Shun used to tell me so many times about his brother, back when we were training on Andromeda Island. He meant so much to him... he even claimed he had to win the Andromeda Cloth just to make Ikki proud.'

She stared at them with pain and anger.  
'He wanted to win a stupid cloth just to make Ikki proud, do you understand?! Even Shun, Ikki's own brother, thought he still had to prove that he was worthy of him! So, as far as I'm concerned...'

She kept quiet for a few seconds.  
'... I don't have the slightest chance'.

Hyōga sighed.

'Of course you do! That stupid chicken is just acting like Mister StoneHeart and prefers controlling his emotions because they fucking scare him to death.'

'Don't say that', the Japanese Amazon objected, grabbing the Ethiopian's face to look her in the eye. 'Maybe Shun didn't have to worry but it still motivated him to fight and become better; and now he knows that he's important to Ikki. You could do the same, it might work.'

'But Ikki got away right after...!' her colleague moaned. 'I met him by chance this morning but he didn't even see me.'

'Yes he did, he just pretended not to', Hyōga corrected frowning. 'What an asshole! Shun's sure gonna be pissed at his stupid brother... Anyway, good news is there's no possible doubt on June's feelings for Ikki.'

He decided he had heard enough and went back to the Bronzies' quarters to tell everything he had witnessed and heard to his companion.

As he suspected, Shun did feel torn.

He was relieved that June's feelings were confirmed but on the other hand he was indeed annoyed with his brother's attitude. He hated the idea of his friend suffering and for a moment he held Ikki responsible for it.

But then the Andromeda Saint remembered the state the Phoenix was in when he was at his threshold, so he was convinced that the young man truly did not know what he was causing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shun's inner voice: "JUST STOP PINING ALREADY!!"


	5. Who Needs Love Like That?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shun tries to talk to... a WALL. And is actually the big brother in the conversation.
> 
> Title inspired by Who Needs Love Like That? by Erasure here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjjDIL6qNXE

Shun's thoughts were proven true throughout the weeks that unfolded.

Ikki rarely showed up.

The only times Shun managed to see him, he had locked himself up into his shell and would avoid any attempt at making conversation.

The Phoenix did seem in a rather fine physical shape as he claimed he was spending his time training. However the bags under his eyes were growing darker and darker and his tanned skin had gone a bit paler.

But the most serious part yet was his psychological state. June had undeniably produced an important impact on him, therefore he was focusing on what was happening to him and had probably not noticed what happened to her.

Shun was getting so worried about his brother's mutism that only Hyōga could make him smile again — and still, lately it had been harder even for him. On top of that Andromeda knew very well that the Cygnus Saint was still angry with the Phoenix, even though he was trying his best to hide it. The usually so calm Japanese boy himself felt like he was about to go crazy.

A few weeks passed during which the tension grew more and more.

Then one day Hyōga had enough. On their day off he took his lover to Rodorio in order for them to relax. The idea worked; for an entire day they forgot all about Ikki and June, the Sanctuary, Athena and the rest, and enjoyed their time together. And Shun could smile again.

The sun was beginning to head down when they came back, holding hands and looking at the slowly darkening sky.

As they passed by the Gold Saints' training arena, the green-haired boy suddenly stood still. Aiolos and Aiolia were sparring.

Suddenly one of the former's attacks reached its target and the fifth guardian got ejected at the other side of the ring. The older one ran to him but the Leo Saint burst out laughing. Aiolos then started laughing too and knelt down to hug his younger brother.  
This sight brought Shun a vision of Ikki and him.

Feeling down again, as he was realizing that this certainly would not happen before a long time, Andromeda clutched Hyōga's fingers tighter and they walked on.

Before the entrance of the Bronzies' quarters they spotted the Gemini twins.

Apparently in the middle of a depression, Kanon was in Saga's arms, sobbing that no one would ever love him because of his bad deeds. His brother was rocking him in silence to comfort him. But the former Sea Dragon's cosmo was full of pain and sadness.

Shun blinked.

He had never really paid attention to the two young men since the end of the war and he was shocked by Kanon's state, which violently reminded him of Ikki's even though their situation was different. Then Shun recalled Hyōga telling him about what he had heard at the women's training arena, and he also saw June's reflection in the second Gemini Saint's unstable state.

The Russian must have been thinking the same and was the first to turn toward his lover.  
'You really need to talk to Ikki', he insisted.

The Japanese boy nodded.  
'Yeah, it can't last any longer. I don't want them to get any worse. They don't deserve it.'

A spark passed in his emerald eyes.  
'I'll try to loosen him up so that we can carry on the mission tomorrow at Shion's and Dohko's wedding.'

'Perfect!'

Shun left Hyōga before his room and headed for the Phoenix's quarters.

He instantly knew his brother was there as he could feel his cosmo again when he arrived at the door.

'That's a good sign', he thought. 'Maybe there's a slight chance that he hears me out?'  
He knocked but did not wait for an answer — Ikki never felt the need to answer anyway since no one else would dare disturb him.

The younger one could make out the features of his older brother in the dark, arms crossed and his back leaning on the wall.

The firebird did not even move his head to look at him.  
'What do you want...?' he sighed.

'Just to know if you're fine', Andromeda replied, keeping it classic.  
'I am fine, already told you. Since when have you doubted my word?'

Shun felt a lump in his throat at his brother's obvious irritation. Ordinarily he would not speak to him so harshly. Still he did not give up and went straight to the point.  
He sat on the bed and gestured him to do the same.  
The Phoenix grunted but obeyed anyway. Shun was relieved to see he still had the power to make him comply, and he hoped this would go on working.

'Nii-san, please don't lie to me', he demanded in a soft voice. 'I have not seen you in weeks... you claim you're always training but nobody has ever seen you at the arenas.'

'I go solo, you do know that, Shun', Ikki mumbled.

Shun could not see his eyes well but he could guess the Phoenix was staring straight at the wall in front of him. And he was now a little stooped down whereas he used to stand so erect.

'Ikki, is June the source of all this?' he suddenly dropped out in one go.

There was no need for light to see the young man shivering. He pulled himself back together at once but it was no use.

Ikki considered denying and pretending he did not know what Shun was talking about, in order to escape from this horribly humiliating situation... but he could not find his words. The younger one was not stupid and he knew it all too well.

Besides he was his brother, so it would not be that serious if he were the only one to know about it.

'I knew it', Andromeda uttered softly.

'What...?' the Phoenix mentally grumbled, cut to the quick.

He knew?!

... Of course he did. Shun always knew. Why? Because you simply cannot hide anything from your little brother.

But I just can't act fucking weak before him!

Ikki remained silent but there was no need for an answer. The firebird never spoke much, especially not when feelings were involved. But Shun always respected his silence.

He wrapped his arms around the older one's waist and hugged him tight.

Ikki gave a start, as Shun had always been very tactile when he was not.

Yet to his own surprise he did feel a bit soothed by the embrace.

'I think she saw in you and you saw in her', his brother murmured.  
Then he stared at him, emerald eyes shining in the moonlight. The only eyes Ikki would never be able to lie to.

'You and June are much alike, you know... She played a big part in my earning the Andromeda Cloth. She cared deeply about me, she used to support me and cheer me up when I wouldn't fight back during training sessions. She believed in me. And she is also very strong and brave and she always reaches her purpose.'

As her pretty face showed again in his mind along with his brother's words, the blue-haired shivered again and turned aside.

'She really is an awesome girl', Shun continued. 'I really like her, she's been an amazing friend.'  
Guessing that talking about feelings must feel like torture for the older one, he finally stopped there, and winked at him.

'She did care about me but looks like she cares even more about you.'

Ikki frowned and blushed for the second time. He mentally slapped himself and thanked the dark for dissimulating his crimson face.  
Shun stood back up and kissed him on the forehead just like the Phoenix used to when they were kids.  
'Anyway, all the Saints have to be at the Thirteenth Temple at ten on the dot tomorrow. Good night Nii-san!'

After he left, Ikki let himself on his bed, boiling. He was even more lost now than he was before his brother's visit.

'... So? What now?!' he sighed.

Andromeda's words were still echoing in his mind.  
'She cares even more about you'.

She did...?

So what? She now must have had enough of waiting, like most girls would — at least it was what Kanon had claimed someday that Ikki happened to be at the same bar as some of the Gold Saints.

But then the young man felt a weird sensation coming to him at the mere idea of June turning away from him. He punched himself on the forehead while cursing such an unexpected reaction.

'So what? Good for her if she changes her mind! She likes me, I don't care, end of story!'

But at this exact moment Shun's face showed in his mind, looking tired. 

'Come on Nii-san, you don't believe your own words yourself...'

Ikki let out a deep sigh.  
His brother really was being hard on him.  
Then he recalled how worried he had been making Andromeda.

Ikki hated when he was worried. He hated when sweet, ever-positive Shun was so preoccupied with something that he even stopped smiling — and he hated it even more when this 'something' was him.

'... Fine!' he grunted.

He would try to overcome the mile-long barrier that was now between him and June. June, that mysterious creature which had so easily managed to break down the self-defense system he so strongly believed was anything-proof.

The blonde Amazon, by the way, had just arrived at the room she would occupy, in the same block as Shaina's and Marin's.  
(Although her colleagues had rarely spent the night now that they had a boyfriend.)

The Ethiopian took off her mask and sat on her bed. Some kind of an uncertain smile showed on her face as she recalled that tomorrow the Pope and the Libra Saint would get married.  
As it was an official and core event, Ikki would sure have to be there.

June had been tracking him down for the past weeks under her friends' support. Because of them she had a little hope that she would manage to get closer to him again, and maybe take her chance.

But she had not spotted the fierce Phoenix even once after she had told Marin and Shaina.  
Just as if Ikki had been avoiding her... and this impression was growing more powerful as time was passing by.

The blonde was feeling miserable and weak and hated it. Not only had the firebird seen her face, but he had also entered her mind and he must have seen that they were alike... and the emergence of the crush she was beginning to develop on him.  
That stupid law about female Saints and their need for a mask, which she thought was a mere outdated macho decision, was actually verified.

However she had seen in Ikki too.

So how in hell could such a connection only lead to suffering?

Fortunately, June was not of the giving-up-so-easily kind and she was pretty sure neither was Ikki, so here was another reason to pick herself up again!  
She had to seize her chance even though it was minimal. Of course she might get turned down, but she still had to try.

Wasn't life about fighting for what you cared about?

The blonde girl was certainly not the crybaby type, and she let out a sigh at the feeling of a frustrated tear.

'Whatever! They say nothing's better than a wedding to forge links, right?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June isn't as angsty as Ikki and if she has a chance, she's gonna grab it, hell yeah!


	6. Heart Too Hot To Hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *singing* A WEDDING! A WEDDING! WE'RE 'BOUT TO HAVE A WEDDING!!  
> I love Dohko and Shion. So sorry I don't focus on them though :(
> 
> And I'm sorry SOME Saints *cough cough* will not enjoy the after party as much as they should to celebrate the newlyweds.
> 
> Title inspired by Heart Too Hot To Hold from the Breakfast Club here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGSZUx2gXfc

This was it; all Athena's Saints in their Cloth were now waiting in the great hall of the Thirteenth Temple.

They went quiet as soon as they felt the two grooms' cosmo energies.  
As it was actually miraculous that eighty-eight Saints could remain calm for so long in a limited space, DeathMask was trying his hardest not to make any comment — but the rose Aphrodite pretended to use as a fan was keeping him forcedly silent.

Finally the doors opened and Shion appeared at Athena's arm in his Pope's robes.  
He stood still before the altar while the young goddess moved behind it with her holy book.

A few minutes later Dohko arrived at Shunrei's arm. He headed toward his fiancé while the brunette sat by Shiryū, Mü and Kiki in the front row.

As the Tibetan and the Chinese exchanged their vows, Shun slipped his fingers through Hyōga's. The Cygnus Saint smiled.  
Turning toward the subjects of their mission, Andromeda nudged him.

Silently thanking her mask for keeping her discrete, June seemed as if looking for Ikki. She knew it was rather disrespectful not to focus on the grooms, yet she just could not. She truly was happy for them, but she had a lump in her throat.  
She knew it was stupid and that the Phoenix was not into this kind of thing either, however she could not help but imagine the two of them in the two grooms' shoes, just like a little girl would.

She finally spotted Shun sandwiched between Hyōga and Ikki. She realized it was the first time she could admire the Phoenix Cloth... and for an instant she tried to imagine Ikki in the Andromeda Cloth.

It did not match at all.

His own Cloth fit him so perfectly that it seemed like he was sparkling.  
He looked so mighty and proud.

Probably noticing he was being stared at, the young man suddenly set his eyes on the mock ones on June's mask. One more time she felt a heatwave coming through her body and she thought she was going to faint. Oh, by Athena, how much she loved this look.

And then she frowned.

Ikki had bags under his eyes. The blonde Amazon's heart began racing and she bit her lower lip. 'What's going on with him? He seems so exhausted! If only I could slip into his mind...'  
She was saddened and angry at the idea that the Phoenix was suffering so much that he could not sleep.  
She felt a tear of anger rolling down under her mask and contained a swear word. She abruptly turned aside before Ikki could notice anything.

The latter let out an exasperated sigh at his brother hand in hand with Hyōga. How in hell could Shun love this fucking ugly duckling?!  
In what was he so special?!  
To Ikki the young Ice Saint was nothing but the stupidest, most megalomaniac person he had ever met. How come Shun did not see any of his lover's faults...?  
Ikki was about to separate them when he suddenly felt like someone was staring at him.

He turned back and realized it was June.  
'How terrible I must have today', he mentally growled.

He instantly blinked at his own comment.  
'... Wait, what?! Am I really exhausted enough to care about how I look now?!'

The Phoenix frowned and stared back at the Ethiopian.  
He felt relieved realizing that he managed to keep his eyes on her — but then he thought it must be because she was wearing her mask this time.

Immediately he thought back of the azure eyes he knew were glowing beneath the metal, and which had been haunting him since that damn party...

Then he saw a single tear rolling down June's chin and almost immediately the young woman turned away from him.  
To his own surprise, his heart tightened at that vision.

Was June crying? Was she hurt?

'If I ever get the person responsible for it I'll rip their eyes off.'

Ikki opened his eyes wider at such a spontaneous thought coming from himself.  
'The fuck am I thinking?!! Am I really going crazy or what?!!'

Shun had been the only one who could ever have him think such a thing, but now Ikki definitely felt lost.

Witnessing the silent scene that had just unfolded, Hyōga felt Shun's hand going tense.  
Knowing both of their friends, Andromeda and Cygnus had no trouble imagining what they were going through.  
Hyōga furiously ran his hand through his blonde locks and let out a sight.

'They really that stupid or what?!'  
'Come on Hyōga, they just need a hand', the younger one replied softly.  
'They better figure this out tonight or I'm sure gonna send your goddamn brother back to his goddamn island, I told you...'  
'Hyōga, calm down! I can't wait either but don't you think they are even more confused than we are?'  
'So what? It's just impossible to be so... square! I mean, even Shaka and Mü took the plunge!'

'Shut up!' Shiryū suddenly ordered.

The young Dragon shot his friends a furious look and they instantly went quiet.

Shun gave Hyōga a 'we're-almost-there-so-please-don't-screw-everything-up' look. The Russian stole a peck from his lips and replied with his usual 'we're-the-best' wink.

A while later the party started.

Shion and Dohko had arranged the great hall just like it was at the last party.  
The other Saints had swapped their Cloth for a formal outfit, which was more practical to move and dance.  
The scene was pretty much like it had been at the last party, with the couples reunited and the few single people with their friends.

This time June made extra sure to keep away from DeathMask, Milo and Kanon. She first stayed with Shaina and Marin but her fellow Silver Saints quickly left her to reunite with Seiya and Aiolia.

Just like the last time Ikki was sitting at the bar with his back to the Chamæleon, stooped and leaning on his elbows.  
She sighed.

'He looks like he's brooding so many dark thoughts... who could have hurt him?' she wondered.

She breathed in, clutched her fist, gathered all the bravery she had left and stood up... but she was shaking so hard she had to stop a few steps later.

'Why am I so scared?!' she wanted to yell out loud. Her heart was racing at the only idea of coming closer to the Phoenix.  
All she finally managed to do was running straight to the toilet to calm down. Just like a vulgar daddy's girl, which did not please her at all.

'Want me to go after her?' Hyōga offered.  
'No, don't', Shun disagreed. 'I'm goin-...'  
'Oh come on, she's the one that's gonna screw it all up!'  
Andromeda raised a hand to stop him.  
'I'm going. You watch Ikki.'

But then the Cygnus Saint had a bright idea and nearly stuck his mouth to his lover's ear so that the firebird could not hear.  
'Wait a minute. Why not have them go outside so they can talk?'

'Get away from him at once!' the Phoenix immediately grunted.

Hyōga and Shun exchanged an agreeing look and knew they had just had the same idea.  
'Provoke him', Andromeda whispered.

Hyōga smirked.

'Come on, I can do it... just need a last drink', Ikki had been thinking over and over for the hundredth time.  
And for a dozen shots.

He was perfectly aware that June was probably staring at him but he still could not resolve to go talk to her.  
On top of that, Shun was standing far too much close to Hyōga, which made it even harder for him to focus.

'Oh fuck it, it's okay, I just gotta ask her what's going on or something', Ikki reasoned, trying to motivate himself. 'Shouldn't be that hard...'

Except that it was.

The young man finally downed his last shot and clutched his fist.  
Then he noticed June had stood up and was heading to him. He tried to ignore his own confusion.

'Come on, let's get this over with already.'

But to his own surprise the blonde girl suddenly took another direction and she was gone before he could realize it.

The Japanese boy frowned and crossed his arms.

'... And she's gone.'

He felt relieved since he now had more time, but on the other hand he was furious at himself for being so weak.  
He truly was starting to regret his training years on Death Queen's Island, back when hatred used to be the only thing he could feel.

Yet he instantly came back to reality as Hyōga leaned over Shun and stuck his mouth to his ear.  
'The hell does he think he's doing?!'

Ikki immediately ordered the Russian to get away, but to his surprise the latter grinned at him.

Hyōga grabbed Shun's chin and suddenly kissed him with all his passion. Andromeda opened his mouth to him and they began making out in the open, while Ikki's cosmo started skyrocketing.

'Sorry about this, Nii-san, but it's the only way...'  
Then the green-haired boy parted from his companion and went looking for June.

The Phoenix really was doing his bestest not to hurl himself at the Cygnus Saint.  
'Don't you dare do this again if you wanna live!!' he shouted.

Hyōga's grin vanished and he raised his chin, defying him.  
'Oh yeah? What would you do if I did? Kill me right here, right now? Just 'cause your dear little brother is mine now?'

Ikki's teeth ground and flames showed in his narrowed eyes.  
'Don't you speak of Shun like he's a fucking object', he grunted at the young Ice Saint. 'He'll never be yours.'

The blonde boy came closer to him and stared back at him.  
'It's funny you said that, actually!' he spat out. 'Dammit Ikki, what's your fucking problem?! You're the one that's acting as if Shun were yours! You can't even accept the mere idea that he may truly love me!! You think you two are married or what?!!'

He paused and shot him an icy, vicious smile.  
'Ooooh, that's right, I get it. Nobody likes you so you're resorting to your own brother?!'

With his eyes bulging and his face now crimson red in fury, the firebird looked about to explode. Blood was boiling in his veins.

Yet this time Hyōga was really fed up. He knew he had gone way too far but he was finally face to face with Ikki and it was the best time to tell him everything he thought.

Plus Shun was not there, so there would be no escaping.

'You know Shun's not gonna stay behind your back forever, if that's what you thought!' he shouted. 'He's gonna wanna built his own life and I can promise you, sincerely, that I'll do everything to make him happy. Your decision to live by yourself in your secluded world ain't his business but yours! You can do whatever you want with your life, but the way that you're behaving with him is just insane!!'

In one gesture he included all the other Saints.  
'And I bet everyone agrees with me!!'

Ikki did not know his cosmo could increase so much.  
He payed no attention to those who had turned toward them at such energy release. The blue-haired boy felt his entire body had started burning. He genuinely did not know what had gotten into Hyōga, why on earth he would claim he was 'even resorting to his brother because nobody liked him'.

But he sure was going to make him pay for this, as his fist was more than ready to throw the Phoenix's Wings Rise.

Hyōga's own fist was starting to cover with ice to fight back with the Diamond Dust. The young Russian was more than satisfied: Ikki was out of himself.

'Let's go outside', the latter managed to articulate while shuddering with rage. 'Now.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Hyōga going to get his ass kicked? Or is his and Shun's plan going to work out?


	7. Take Me On Your Mighty Wings!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ikki gets close... and goes all angsty again.
> 
> Title inspired by Take Me On Your Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-4XsDQYDi4

June took off her mask and splashed water onto her face. She brushed off a blonde strand and looked at her reflect in the mirror.

'Come on, I need to talk to him. Doesn't matter if he doesn't listen, I really need to stop camouflaging into the background, I'm more than just the Chamæleon Saint!'

There was a knock on the door.  
'June...?' a voice called.

It was Shun and he sounded worried.  
'Are you all right?' he asked. 'What's going on?'

Feeling terrible at recalling how she had behaved with him at the latest party, June did not really know what to say. She opted for staying where she was and put her mask back on.  
'Yeah I'm fine, don't worry', she lied.

'Let's go out for a while, have some fresh air', Andromeda suggested.  
'Yeah, let's do that.'

Then they both felt Hyōga's and Ikki's cosmo energies grow more and more powerful. Shun frowned, worried about his companion.  
'I'll go see what's going on with them', he told June.

His friend was also worried but more for Ikki so she was about to follow him... but then she resigned as the other two Saints were already on their way to them.

'You coming?' Shun asked.  
She finally got out to see what exactly was going on.

Hyōga was running as fast as he could, Ikki just a step behind him.  
The young Ice Saint had finally managed to localized Shun's and June's cosmo energies and was headed to the bathroom.  
Andromeda was at the door and moved aside when his lover passed at full speed.  
'You coming?' he asked June.  
The Ethiopian girl got out.

At the exact moment she got in the corridor, Ikki stormed in like a bullet.

Yet he had just enough time to manage to suddenly stop at the sight of the Chamæleon.

Frustrated that there was no collision, Hyōga let out a 'pffff...' but Shun shut him up and turned toward his brother.  
'Okay, so... see ya, guys!' he smiled.  
He and Hyōga pretended to leave but they hid in the corner of the hallway and his their cosmo.

The firebird was racing.

All he could see was the oh so insolent Cygnus Saint he was trying to reach. His cosmo was still burning hotter and hotter after the humiliation he had just been through.

All of a sudden he spotted June getting out of the bathroom. He narrowly managed to win back some control over himself and pulled up short not to run right into her.  
It had already happened once, and it had been waaaaaay enough.

However, nearly bumping into the blonde Amazon just when he was least expecting it, produced a shock in his mind in addition to the fury that was still boiling.

The pressure dropped but immediately came back so much harder that he thought he was going to scream.

Hyōga and Shun were gone.

Ikki blinked several times to recover a clear sight. He absolutely needed fresh air.  
'Let's... go... out', he uttered.  
He cursed his hesitant-sounding tone.

'What's the matter?! It ain't like I'm gonna die!' he tried to persuade himself.  
He bit his lower lip and walked away without waiting for June.

The latter stood still for a few seconds, conscious that she must be blushing hard under her mask. Ikki had spoken in third person.  
'So he wants me to go too...?'

She ran out of breath realizing that he might just have taken the first step, exactly when she had been unable to make it.  
She realized also that she was shivering, and shook her head to come back to reality.  
'If I can ever seize the opportunity it's right now', she told herself.

She nearly had to run to catch up with the young man.

Shun and Hyōga followed suit.

Neither Ikki nor June uttered a single word until they were outside.  
The Japanese boy sat down on the first step of the stairs that led to the Twelve Temples of the Zodiac. His colleague sat down too but she kept a little aside.

They kept silent for a while.

Ikki's cosmo started to slowly come down but the Chamæleon Saint could see he was still very tense. She could not help but discretely look at him.  
He was so close, less than a meter away from her.

'If I leaned, I could almost touch him', she thought.

Immediately her heart began racing. Again she could feel the sensation of the Phoenix's body beneath hers at the latest party.  
By Athena, how badly she wished this could happen again!  
But she kept hesitating.

'If I tried, I might lose him forever... Better wait for a sign, any sign, so I can see whether he likes me.'

Unfortunately for her the blue-haired boy was thinking pretty much the same.  
He was clandestinely eying her as well. June was sitting rather erect and her long cascading hair was fluttering in the breeze.  
The young man felt again that touch of the blonde strand stroking his cheek, back when the Ethiopian had fallen down onto him.

The moonlight was reflecting on her mask — that inexpressive, fake face.

Take it off.

Just as he was thinking this, Ikki had a start. How could he ever think such words?!  
He frowned as he felt his cosmo burning again.

'I'm outta my mind! I better move aside.'

However at the bottom of his heart he rather felt like moving closer to her. Not only was he not a coward but he was also... curious about how she would react.  
Then the resolution he had taken the day before came back: he had decided he would try to come near her less than a hundred meters.

'Come on, just find a topic now! Any damn one!', he urged himself.  
He gulped.

The noise it made gave June a start.  
Ikki's teeth ground. He had never ever felt that... shy, before.

'So,' he dropped. 'I can't remember thanking you for, you know, taking care of Shun on Andromeda Island, so... there'.

'Oh, it's okay, it wasn't a big deal!' she immediately replied.

Her hasty tone had him bit his lip in dislike. 'She's afraid of me', he mentally sighed and cursed himself.

'Oh come on! That's no time to talk about Shun!' Hyōga raged.  
Andromeda was impatient too and this time he did not attempt to calm his lover down.  
'It's been an hour and they're still a kilometer away from each other!' he moaned. 'They're gonna drive us crazy...'  
'Plus it's so hot out there!'

The Russian swathed both him and Shun in a cold draft as to take down the temperature.  
'Hold on...', he let out, instantly turning toward his lover, who had just had the same idea at the same time.  
Hyōga shot him a Machiavellian smirk.

And then threw another icy draft toward his friends.

Ikki was still hesitating and he hated it. He was afraid of coming even an inch closer to June.  
His pride was preventing him from doing so, just as if he could get further humiliated by his own gesture.

Yet suddenly both of them started shaking as they felt some kind of icy breeze. The Chamæleon Saint wrapped herself in her own embrace and crossed her legs.

For a few seconds the Phoenix managed not to move a jot but he was as cold as she was.

She was from Ethiopia and he had spent six years training under constant unbearable heat on a volcanic island, on which rainfall was more like lava fall.

He burned his cosmo a bit to warm himself up.

Instinctively June moved a few inches closer to feel the heat too. Her body went tense, and she stood still for a few seconds.  
Ikki did not seem to react. Then she gathered all the bravery she had left and moved a little closer.

The Japanese boy felt like his cheeks were on fire as his colleague was getting closer and closer. Now he only had to hold out an arm and he would touch her slender waist.  
The proximity was starting to make it impossible for him to concentrate.

He thought he should be ashamed, that he could hardly recognize himself... but strangely, his cosmo only burned hotter.

'The hell am I doing...?!'

The cold around them was getting more and more intense. June felt the rise in the heat coming from Ikki, so she opted for stopping mentally-torturing herself. She let herself be engulfed in the heat,and suddenly she was too hot to keep her mask on.

So she decided to take the plunge... and took it off.

The mask slipped off June's hands. She did nothing to catch it. Ikki felt like he was on fire again. Before he could even realize, he had turned to her.  
Her face was as pretty as in his memories.

The firebird struggled not to lose himself into her azure eyes. His pride finally won and he grabbed the mask and handed it out to her.

But to his own surprise the Ethiopian girl did not even move.  
'I don't... need it', she muttered, trying hard to look straight in front of her.

Her cheeks were crimson red.

Ikki stood still for a few seconds then he felt stupid and put the mask back on the floor. But when he placed his arm back on his side, his hand touched June's.  
He shuddered as much as she did. She had just moved closer again...  
She then breathed in and, slowly, slid her fingers through his.

Immediately, Ikki's body temperature skyrocketed.  
Such a violent sensation gave him goosebumps and his body got even more tense.

Yet he did not take off his hand.

For a few minutes he was unable to move an inch, just as if he were in some kind of a trance.  
His heart was racing even faster than during a fight.

He simply did not understand what was happening to him.

The Chamæleon felt her own cosmo and body temperature rise like madness. Her heart was racing as well. She clutched the Phoenix's fingers in hers, and again he showed no resistance.  
With her other hand June brushed away a strand that was soaked in sweat and discreetly glanced at her colleague.

He was staring right in front of him. He was as stretched as a bow, and she could see he was sweating as his t-shirt was soaked — and chiseled his abs.  
The blonde longed to cuddle up to him, he was so close. But even though he did not seem about to let go she still hesitated.

Ikki was no longer feeling like the fiery Phoenix.

He wanted so badly to embrace the pretty Ethiopian, just to see what it would be like. He had quit thinking and struggling against his sensations — which actually did not feel so unpleasant at all.

Finally, behind his column, Hyōga got fed up and decreased the temperature by twenty degrees.

Ikki then let his cosmo burn to its climax.  
Timidly June rested her head on his shoulder. In an uncertain gesture the young man passed his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer.  
She wrapped both her arms around his neck and snuggled up against his chest.

The Phoenix quivered at the contact of her slender body with his. He felt their hearts beating in unison.  
Then he hid his face into the stream of blonde hair.

Surprised but happy, June hugged him tighter and closed her eyes. She felt so good in Ikki's arms.  
'I don't think I only like him, it's more than that...'

She gently grabbed Ikki's chin and raised his head so they were face to face.  
Then the young man let himself get lost into her beautiful eyes.

The space between them slowly decreased.

But all of a sudden, as their lips were finally about to touch, Ikki gave a violent start.

His sight became blurred and he felt paralyzed, overwhelmed by some kind of strange dizziness, just as if he were under his own Phoenix Illusion Demoniac Fist.  
Some silhouettes passed before his eyes.

He blinked — and suddenly he was able to identify them.

His parents.

He found himself looking at them, holding baby Shun who had just magically appeared in his arms. It was strange, their parents seemed much, much taller than them... Ikki looked down at his hands and realized he was a kid again. He must be about two years old.  
'Wait, two?!'

The age he was when he lost his parents, and ended up alone and weak with Shun to be taken care of.

Then he felt he was growing up.  
He must be around thirteen now, and he was fighting his master on Death Queen's Island to earn the Phoenix Cloth.  
All of a sudden a teenage girl who exactly looked like Shun except for her golden hair appeared before him and received his opponent's attack at full strength.  
Ikki was reliving Esmeralda's death...

Just like back then, his brother's image reflected upon hers and the Phoenix screamed.

Right after this vision the young man went back to being fifteen.  
He found himself facing another silhouette looking exactly like Shun, but whose green locks had turned to maroon.  
Hades.  
Ikki was trying to hit him.  
But he knew that he would kill his brother if he were ever able to touch his enemy.

In a nutshell, the young man was currently facing his loved ones, who had been taken from him because of his weakness — except for Shun, who had so narrowly escaped.

Ikki was so miserable and angry before such visions that he felt like screaming.

Yet it was not over.  
One last frame appeared before him.  
A girl, lying on the ground, motionless and bleeding to death, her face half hidden into the mess of her long tangled, blood-dirtied blonde hair and her bronze Cloth in pieces.

June.

'No, not HER...!!'

Ikki abruptly emerged from his trance.  
'I can't...', he managed to utter in a breath.

June stood still, panting.  
'You... what?'

Stopped right in her tracks, it took her some time to pull herself together. Her eyes were full of incomprehension and pain.

Blood thumping hard in his ears, the Japanese boy turned aside and stood up. He was shaking like a leaf.  
'I can't!' he repeated with a hardest tone.

Then, without even looking at her, he began running down the stairs as fast as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't think it was actually going to work like magic, did you? ;)
> 
> Jokes aside, Ikki DOES have a trauma, I mean seriously, everyone he cares about has a tendency to get killed or nearly killed... so I thought it would only be accurate for him to be scared for June even though she can take care of herself, right?


	8. Total Eclipse Of The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shun and Hyōga split and take matters (and chatters) into their own hands.  
> Here comes the TALK.
> 
> Title inspired by Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6ttOWHaRoo

'WHAAAAT?!! You gotta be KIDDING ME!!' Hyōga exclaimed, eyes wide open in shock.

Shun looked as flabbergasted as him.  
'Ikki, what are you-...?!'  
He frowned and stood up while addressing his lover.  
'You stay with June, I'm going after him.'

And without even thinking about how his friend would react at seeing him appear from nowhere, he set off in pursuit of his brother.  
'IKKI!!!'

June sat still, watching Ikki disappear. Her heart was broken into small pieces.  
The Phoenix's words were echoing over and over again in her mind.

'I can't'.

She made no attempt to understand their signification. To her it could only mean one thing.

'He doesn't like me back.'

Warm tears began rolling down her cheeks as she hid her face into her hands and sobbed like a little girl.  
'That hurts, dammit!'  
However, deep inside she always knew it would not be easy. Maybe she had been too straightforward?  
'I'm such... an idiot!'

She had wanted so badly to kiss Ikki... so badly that she could not help but try. His embrace was already not enough for her. She loved him so much, therefore she had resorted to a more obvious way to figure out what he felt.  
But the answer had been a no.

Crying louder, she curled up upon herself. She had rarely felt so miserable.

Someone suddenly laid a cold hand on her shoulder.  
The blonde turned back without even paying attention to her still unmasked face. She came face to face with Hyōga, whose almost transparent eyes were staring at her.

For a moment he kept silent.  
'I'm sorry', he merely said.

Then he helped her get on her feet.  
'You should come back in and have a drink. It'll help you feel better.'

So the Chamæleon stopped thinking and resigned. What else could she do? She dried her tears, put her mask back on and followed her colleague inside.

Hyōga felt stupid as he helped June sit at the counter. The words he had just uttered sounded so casual. He had better say something nicer...  
Yet the problem was, he did not know what to say. He did not know the Ethiopian personally, he had only heard about her from Shun — and pretty much the only thing the Japanese boy had told him was that she was very much like Ikki. He had not specified whether he was referring to her way of dealing with her feelings...

If so, the young Cygnus Saint had rather avoid to complicate the situation more than it already was.

He still tried to start a conversation, though.  
'Shun and I know about you and Ikki', he confessed.

June did not seem to react and focused rather on the straw in her Coke. A tear rolled from under her mask, down her chin.  
Hyōga hated to see someone suffering, especially a friend of Shun's.  
'Don't give up', he dropped.

'Oh yeah?! And what the hell do you suggest I do now?!' the Chamæleon let out, suddenly turning toward him.  
The Ice Saint raised his hand to calm her down.  
'Hey, calm down, just trying to help here!' he retorted. 'Ikki is the most stubborn guy in the world! He always goes solo. The idea that someone can actually like him is pretty new to him. So it's perfectly normal that it doesn't work out at the first try!'

— 'even if he does like you too', he mentally added.

June groaned.  
'It's my fault'.

Hyōga sighed.  
'No, he's the only one to blame and all his shit is driving me crazy!!' he mentally raged. 'Because of that goddamn roast chicken she's breaking down now! ... I seriously hope Shun succeeds!'

He sighed again.  
'No, it's not your fault', he said aloud. 'He just needs some time, is all!'

'Hurry up, Shun...' he whispered to himself.

The latter was still racing to catch up with his brother.  
'Ikki, wait up! Where are you going?!'

The Phoenix did not answer. His cosmo was burning hotter and hotter and despite all the steps he had already covered, he was running faster and faster.  
Andromeda looked for something likely to stop him... and decided to give it the works, even though he did not like the idea.

'Nebular Chain!'

He spread his chain so that it coiled around Ikki's wrist.  
Shun pulled and managed to bring his brother back to him.

The Phoenix made hasty gestures to break free, just like a panicked bird caught in a trap.

'Let go of me, Shun!!' he shouted. 'The fuck's gotten into you, you mad or what?!! Call your chain back at once!! I would never, ever have thought that you could ever use it against me!!'

Shun made him turn toward him so that they were face to face.  
'Nii-san, you don't understand! I'm not using it against you, but for you!' he shouted.

The older one kept struggling and avoided the younger's emerald eyes.  
'There's nothing you can do for me!!' he shot back.  
His voice seemed shaking.  
'Nothing, got it?!!'

And suddenly he stopped moving and stood up straight, as if he were giving up.  
He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked straight in front of him.

'Ikki...'

Shun slowly came nearer, looking for his words.

'June is so much like you, you have no idea', he started. 'She played a great part in my earning the Andromeda Cloth. She is sensitive and she used to support me and cheer me up when I would lose my self-confidence. She's also a very skilled fighter, you guys would love to spar together, I'm telling you.'  
He paused.  
His brother was still motionless.

'But still... you hurt her. Why did you run away? That's not you! You're more of the be-yourself-and-rush kind of guy because you know that you'll always win!'

Ikki did not answer but Shun knew he had a point.

'I really don't understand', Andromeda thought. 'You were finally opening your heart, you were embracing June, I really did think you would take the plunge and kiss her. I'd never have imagined you'd stop right before!'

He freed Ikki, calling back the Nebular Chain.  
'Nii-san', he said aloud. 'During both the Battle of the Sanctuary and the war against Hades you wrecked all your enemies so easily, you even helped me and Seiya. And the only thing you fear is love? ... Hold on a sec, is that the reason why you won't accept the fact that Hyōga and I are in love?'

He knew he had another point as the firebird grew even more tense. And sighed.

Ikki's mind was a mess.  
In addition to being mad at himself for feeling at such a loss, he was furious at his brother for sticking his nose too far.  
'How can I ever make him understand?!' he mentally raged.  
He sighed.

'You know, Shun, the world really is cruel. Plus, I've been cursed ever since I took your place on Death Queen's Island. I lost all my loved ones after another: our parents, Esmeralda...'

He clutched his fist so hard it hurt.  
'Even you, you narrowly escaped from that Hades bastard! I'd never forgive myself if he had managed to killed you! I must protect you, you're my little brother... All the people I care about always end up gone. June is your friend so I don't want you to suffer, 'cause she sure will be in danger if she ever mingles with me. She'll sure be doomed if I ever let her in! And, I-I just cannot have this.'

He felt a lump in his throat and bit his lip so hard it started bleeding, at the sound of his own voice breaking.  
He wanted to scream as he was growing more and more overwhelmed by pressure.

The Phoenix fell on his knees, shaking like a leaf.  
'I... I can't be in love', he let out in one breath.

Boiling tears broke through his eyes. He angrily wiped them out, trying hard to remain as stoical as he always used to.  
Except this time he could not. The shell he had created was cracking and he simply could not stop prevent it.  
He was so weak...

Right after he had wiped out his tears, others came and rolled down his cheeks. He gulped, his throat was wood-dry.

It was the worst day ever in his entire life.  
And his brother was witnessing his breakdown.

Shun suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him. He was feeling so bad for him that his own eyes were starting to get wet as well.  
He had always felt much compassion for others, and especially for Ikki.

'Nii-san, you know that's not true', he said softly. 'The problem is not that you can't but that you won't... Still, you've never ever given up. You're the Phoenix, the most powerful Saint among all of us. You never step back and you are always reborn! So for Athena's sake I'm asking you, just stop thinking about protecting me, think about yourself for once! You've been able to master any existing feeling but love so far. But no one knows when it strikes and you know it. Don't you dare lie to me, I was there and I saw you... you do like June.'

'No, I don't!!' the blue-haired boy exclaimed, chocking on his own words.

He indeed did know Shun was right but he still kept on lying.  
Despair and fear were winning over him and the situation was pure torture to him; he was losing it.

'All right, I reckon you were never lucky', Andromeda continued. 'The ones you cared for died before your eyes, and you fear the same might happen to June. But just think about it for a second; although she must have suffered a lot while she was dying, Esmeralda did help you earn the Phoenix Cloth. As for our parents' death, you're not the one to blame, we were way too young to have done anything about it; and besides, your swapping your fate with mine has nothing to do with it as they died long before. You are not doomed, Ikki.'

He gently but resolutely grabbed his brother's chin and forced him to look at him.

'You're scared of what might happen to June if she becomes part of your life. But just look at me, Ikki: I am part of your life and I'm still alive! How come? Because you were always there for me.'  
He stared at him deep in the eye.  
'If you could protect me, then you can protect her too. So now it's her you must focus on. You may not believe in soul mates but I strongly advise that you trust yourself and take your chance.'

Tears were still rolling down Ikki's face but to his own surprise he was feeling a bit better.  
'Shun...' he dropped, holding back a sob.

'You can suppress joy or sadness, Nii-san, but you can't escape love', the younger one insisted. 'Just face it, no one can. Take a look at DeathMask: who'd have bet on Aphrodite of all people for him to date? Or, I don't know, Milo and Camus: you really should have seen Hyōga's face when he caught them! Think about Shion and Dohko: they were apart for 243 years and today they finally united! There, just look at Seiya: you're always claiming he's an idiot, but at least he has understood the power of love. You should see how happy he looks when he's with Shaina...'

For less than a second Ikki nearly smiled. But he immediately came back to serious.  
'I'm nothing like them, Shun', he sighed.  
The green-haired boy shook his head.  
'It doesn't matter. You're not stupid, you'll understand when the times comes. However June is a sensitive girl. And you did hurt her.'

As he heard this the Phoenix lowered his head in shame, for the first time in his life. Shun grabbed his hand and held it tight.

'Go back to her, Ikki. Your sign is made of fire, so be yourself and rush! She's waiting for you. You have to show her who you really are, just as she did when she came before you unmasked.'

The last sentence echoed in the firebird's mind. His brother was right, as always. It was high time he forgot about his overinflated pride that was keeping him away from June, and got more confident and convinced that he could belong with her.

'Whatever happens, I'll always be there', he vowed.

He wiped out the last tracks his tears had left on his face and looked at Shun.  
'Yeah', he merely replied.  
Andromeda smiled at him, satisfied that the older one was back to normal.

The Phoenix stood up and slowly headed back to the Pope's Palace, trying to figure out what he would do next.

'Oh, fuck it'.

He started running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Run Forrest, Run! ... I mean, Ikki!  
> (ok that was a bad joke, sorry)


	9. When I Look In Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyōga ACTUALLY tries better to talk to June.
> 
> Ikki decides to listen to his heart for once in his life.
> 
> Title inspired by When I Look In Your Eyes by the Romantics here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_wl3lopquc

The music was so loud June's ears hurt. She was still sitting at the bar counter with her drink and straw. Beside her Hyōga was keeping on telling her not to give up.

She was doing her best but kept on reliving over and over again the moment Ikki ran away, and his words were still echoing in her head.

I can't.

On top of that, she could not unsee their fellow Saints — nearly all of them in relationships, some were not afraid of unashamedly displaying their affection.

The Cygnus Saint was aware of them too. He turned back and let his eyes wander throughout the hall.  
Then he stood still.

Sitting at a table only a few feet away was Shura, holding Seika's hands in his and apparently in the middle of a long tirade that was captivating the ginger girl.  
'So he's finally going for it?' the Russian wondered.  
He grinned.

'There, look at Capricorn Shura and Seiya's sister', he told June.  
The Ethiopian frowned under her mask. She did not know Shura but she had met Seika the other day, and heard from her that the Spaniard may have been flirting with her. (Although at that time Seika still was not certain of it.)

'They've been going around in circles with each other for some time now', Hyōga continued, resting his head on his hand. 'Both of them were too shy to take the first step. Then one day Seiya spotted Shura dancing with Seika but she ran away right after the song... and still, Shura won't give up 'cause he still has hope. Just take a look at them.'

As if it were on purpose Seika moved her head forward and gently kissed Shura on the lips at the exact moment June turned toward them.  
'See? Looks like it worked out this time!' Hyōga commented with a grin.

The Chamæleon Amazon sighed and came back to her drink.  
'Lucky them,' she thought. 'But I'm pretty sure Ikki is nothing like Capricorn Shura.'  
She tried to imagine herself and the Phoenix in their colleagues' shoes.

This reminded her it had failed, and she felt her throat tighten again.

However, to her own surprise, neither a sob nor a tear came.  
And she found that Hyōga was now staring at her.  
'You look better already', he said.  
She shrugged. He was right though, she did feel a little less heavy.

'You better not wait till Ikki comes back by himself', the young Ice Saint continued. 'You should go find him if you really want him to understand what you feel. Told you, he's a real pig-head.'

June was not so convinced but witnessing Shura's and Seika's kiss had her consider the idea.  
'I guess he's right', she finally thought. 'I have nothing to lose, and I really like Ikki. I gotta try again.'

Once she got outside she was a bit unsettled that the weather was rather hot, exactly as it had been for the entire day.  
At once she understood where the cold she had felt then had come from.  
'Of course, Hyōga is an Ice Saint. How stupid of us.'

Then she heard footsteps and felt Ikki's and Shun's cosmo energies coming closer.  
Holding her breath she came near the stairs and spotted the Phoenix racing toward the top like madness, his brother right behind him with a soft smile.

'Now it's all up to you, Nii-san!' he exclaimed.

As he was running at full speed it did not take long for Ikki to get to the top.  
Right before June he stood still.

He stared at her for a few seconds, then held out an arm and ripped out her mask from her face in one go. He felt his heart aching as he saw the remaining tear tracks around her azure eyes.

The Ethiopian girl timidly smiled. She was happy he came back.

Suddenly the firebird did something rather unexpected: he clutched his fingers around the mask and destroyed it, and threw away the pieces.  
'You don't need it anymore.'

Before June could even wonder what it meant, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her full on the lips.

She quickly came to her senses and cuddled up to his chest and gave it all up to him.  
She opened her mouth to let him in and the kiss became languorous.

'Phew, this is it! About time!' Shun exclaimed in delight. 'Mission accomplished!'  
'Yeah, fuckin' finally!' the latter sighed.  
He wrapped his arms around Andromeda's waist and winked.  
'Told you we were the best.'  
Shun grinned at him and kissed him.

Everybody was happy now, so there was no reason for them to be separated anymore.

Ikki and June parted a few minutes later.  
Out of breath they stared at each other, and smiled. The kiss was so wonderful. The Silver Amazon rested her forehead against the Phoenix's.

The infinite love her eyes were expressing had him melt.  
He felt his heart race even faster.

'Think I love you...'

He blushed, realizing he had said it aloud.  
June's face then lit with a smile as she tenderly stroked Ikki's cheek.  
'I love you...' she murmured, her eyes filled with tears again.

From this moment everything else vanished, their fears, their past.  
There was only the two of them, exchanging passionate, feverish kisses under their constellations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Shun and Hyōga were never disturbed again :)
> 
> Here's a lil' epilogue if you're interested, by the way! Takes place about 12 years later and there's some next gen <3  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25341466


End file.
